<!--IssueSummary start--> <details> <summary> Everyone can contribute. [Help move this issue forward](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/developer-relations/contributor-success/community-contributors-workflows/#contributor-links) while earning points, leveling up and collecting rewards. </summary> - [Close this issue](https://contributors.gitlab.com/manage-issue?action=close&projectId=278964&issueIid=577259) </details> <!--IssueSummary end--> Merge requests have refs associated with them, e.g. `refs/merge-requests/10/head`. These refs are cleaned up after two weeks for merged merge requests. (This cleanup may depend on a configuration setting.) When a merge request is deleted, I also expect the ref to be removed, either immediately upon deletion or after the cleanup period of two weeks. However, the ref remains. In a test project, I created two branches with changes and made merge requests for each. I merged MR 9 and deleted MR 10. Then I checked with `git ls-remote` which refs are available. Immediately after merging/deleting, it shows that refs for both merge requests still exist: ``` $ git ls-remote 245034c470e7c687a1247fd00bbcdac435454ea7 HEAD ... 9eb2937265ebf71b05992ac6d1fb273c5a8be019 refs/merge-requests/10/head 148d5b84f8f472b3100aeb0e6778b8b8cff0d7e7 refs/merge-requests/10/merge 92a4040c465a87fe675c5bceac88d1ff0d84033c refs/merge-requests/9/head 979de050a30f7ec11233da2f981435e01784084f refs/merge-requests/9/merge ``` After two weeks, the merged merge request ref has been removed, but the deleted merge request ref still exists: ``` $ git ls-remote b13dc0476ee6a6bbf66462e10e5b76173c39a512 HEAD ... 9eb2937265ebf71b05992ac6d1fb273c5a8be019 refs/merge-requests/10/head 148d5b84f8f472b3100aeb0e6778b8b8cff0d7e7 refs/merge-requests/10/merge ``` I would expect the ref for the deleted merge request to also have been removed by now. Perhaps immediately upon deletion?